The Island of Meat
by Alastair
Summary: It sounded like fun, but when some of the crew immediately start to disappear, Nami fears it might be their last stop on the Grand Line as she desperately searches for her captain. Or what's left of him. LxN
1. The Young Woman in White!

**The Island of Meat**

_The Young Woman in White!_

_An Eternal Pose to Your Dreams!_

"Good luck?" Zoro said, looking rather unconvinced.

Robin smiled, and said, "Yes, giving travelers a much needed lift to their destination is sometimes thought as extremely good luck in some societies."

"I'd call that suicide on the Grand Line," Usopp said, squinting at the young woman in the little dinghy.

Luffy leaned over the railing, and grinned at her, "Come on up! We'll give you a lift."

Shooting him an admonishing glance, Nami said, "Luffy, we shouldn't give every stranger you meet a ride. It's too dangerous when we all have a bounty on our heads."

He just turned that same grin towards his navigator, "We'll be fine. Shishi."

After a ladder was sent down, and the girl was up on deck, Sanji twirled to her side before kneeling at one knee in front of her, "My lady, why hasn't the sun fallen from the sky in shame to blanket us in darkness? Why haven't the man in the moon and his rabbit jumped to try and catch the stars for you? The world would be best in eternal night – your sheer beauty _blinds_ me!"

Usopp and Zoro made a slapping motion in the air, "Too late."

"Shut it!"

As Sanji turned his attention towards Usopp and Zoro in the form of shoe stomps to the face, Luffy laughed, slapping his knees as he was entertained. The girl – dressed in white silk with lacy cream gloves – smiled at him, blue eyes sparkling in mirth.

When Luffy noticed this, he, still grinning, pointed in the direction of the kitchen, "Are you hungry?"

Nami felt slightly uneasy when the young woman seemed to focus so intently on their captain, "Why, yes. Thank you."

He took her hand, already much too amiable in Nami's opinion as he led her to the kitchen. Sanji followed after, seeming to realize that Luffy would be alone with the pretty, new girl, and that was a grave atrocity in his book. Nami didn't feel any better with Sanji following their captain.

The cook was just as likely to do something stupid when a pretty woman was involved. Luffy was just always up to something ridiculous.

She plopped herself into a chair in the dining room, across from the woman and Luffy who appeared quite tickled – with Sanji and his reactions, and just the girl in general. Doing her best to not play with her hair, Nami sat straight in her chair, feeling awkward as the two talked. It seemed as if Luffy had forgotten she was even there, but she forced the thought away.

_He's a boy,_ she thought._ Of course, he was bound to find a girl he'd like._ Her eyes narrowed, suddenly uncertain, _If this is how he flirts anyway …_

He said, "I had the octopus shoved down my pants the whole time!"

_This is Luffy after all. I guess I shouldn't be surprised if that's how he does it._

Deciding to save herself and her captain some face, she interrupted him, "So … Kuru?"

She nodded with a gentle smile.

Nami found herself smiling back, and said, "Kuru, where are you from?"

"The Island of Meat," she said, and she pulled out an Eternal Pose from her voluminous sleeve.

Abruptly ecstatic, Luffy slammed a foot onto the table, halfway standing on his chair instead of sitting on it. His fists pumped excitedly, and he said, "What! Really!?" He bit his bottom lip, eyes wide as he waited for a response, obviously wanting a little bit of confirmation. Kuru's nod was all he needed to jump up onto the table to dance, "Yahoo! All right, we're going to the Island of Meat. The Island of Meat," he seemed to sing, shimmying up and down the course of the table.

Allowing him to do his odd dance once or twice, Nami then grabbed his face, and pulled him back onto the floor. She said, "No dancing on the table."

Luffy didn't permit Nami's irritation to damper his spirits however, and he ran back onto the deck, yelling his jubilation, "We're going to the Island of Meat, everybody!"

The navigator was less thrilled, eyeing Kuru's Eternal Pose until it was handed over to her. Kuru said, "He's a nice young man."

"He's an idiot," Sanji finished his cigarette, and ground it into an ashtray before he went into the kitchen, pulling up his sleeves. As he began to cut up some choice steaks, he said, "It's about time though. This might shut him up for good about every next island being the Island of Meat."

"He might never want to leave if it's true though," Nami said.

Sanji laughed, and said, "That's true."

"So," she turned to Kuru, "is it really an island filled with every meat imaginable with only the best meat chefs of the world?"

"Oh, no," Kuru said. "I wouldn't say it was like that at all. We're very picky about our meat."

She smiled, "I guess he won't like it as much as he thought he would then, huh?"

"People react to our cuts in different ways. I think he might enjoy it," she said, that smile still set firmly in place.

"How long does it take a Log Pose to set there? We wanted to head out to Fishman Island as well," Nami said, pointing to her Log Pose as if she hadn't seen the thing on her wrist, practically claiming her role as navigator.

"It takes about two months. That's plenty of time for your captain to enjoy our hospitality."

Nami's eyes narrowed on the Eternal Pose and then onto her own Log Pose, "I guess so."

!#$&()+

His excitement turned out to be contagious for the rest of the crew, but Nami was dubious, looking at her Log Pose every now and then. She supposed – quietly to herself – that she had lied. The navigator of the _Thousand Sunny_ didn't want to go to Fishman Island at all, and the fact that they had to go through some haunted Florian Triangle to get to it was ludicrous.

She didn't want to go – Fishmen were a part of the past that she did not find a pleasant part of her life. In fact, they had been a major part of her life up until a scant five months ago.

_Six,_ she recounted. _I've been with Luffy and the others for six months._ She found a faint smile growing on her lips, and she thought, _Now they're the most important people in the world to me._

Glancing up at Luffy who was standing with Kuru, she wondered why she wasn't happier for him. There was a beautiful woman on his arm, and his eyes were likely filled with the sun, ocean, and thoughts of an island filled with meat. Nothing would obstruct his way; not even the protests of a concerned friend.

Nami hugged herself in the chill air.

_It's been four weeks since …_ Luffy looked back at her, grinning, and Nami smiled back.

He pointed out towards the horizon, and said, "Nami! I see an island!"

Kuru smiled at him, and he turned to her instead when she said, "Yes, that's my home, Luffy-kun." Nami twitched. "I hope that you'll enjoy your stay with us."

"'Us?'"

"Oh, yes," she said. "Won't you stay with my family and I? We have a grand house on the hill. That way you and your crew won't have to waste any money for a hotel." She lightly touched his shoulder when he looked at Nami, "Won't you, please?"

Controlling the raging twitch this time around, Nami shrugged, and said, "It's your call, Captain. She is right about the money though."

"Okay, we'll stay with you," he said.

Kuru just smiled.

As they docked the ship, Luffy immediately jumped off with Kuru not far behind. He waved up at them, and said, "I'm going to Kuru's place while you guys finish up here!"

Usopp groaned, but waved him off, "Have fun, you jerk!"

"Bye, guys!"

Biting her lip, Nami watched he captain go up the road, following the girl in white. She jumped in shock as someone touched her shoulder, and she turned, looking up at Robin. Nami said, "Is there something wrong?"

The older woman seemed to think to herself for a while before she appeared to settle on something to say, "Kuru-chan's complexion is very healthy now."

"Oh, yeah," she said, looking back up the street to see Luffy still trailing after the blonde like a little puppy.

"She was so pale when she arrived."

"Maybe she was out at sea for a while," she said. "I guess it's good that we got to her in time before she just wasted away."

"You don't sound very pleased about it though, Nami-chan."

Eyes widening, she looked back up, and said, "What? That's not true, Robin. I mean, Luffy's gotten to know her so well. He'd be upset if he ever noticed how unwell she looked."

Franky leaned in on Nami's other side, and she turned to him when he said, "Did he notice?"

"I don't … understand," she said, looking back and forth between the two.

"Don't you remember, Nami-chan? She was white as a sheet when she came aboard."

"The cook-bro made a huge hissy fit about it – his little spiel about there being no light in the sky because she was bright enough."

Robin said, "And then he never mentioned it again."

Her form twitched, and she looked out into the street again, searching for the hale figure of Kuru and their captain. Now that they were saying something to agitate her already restless mind, Nami began to worry all over again.

Franky said, "You were the only one we could talk to about it. Sword-boy doesn't seem to care, the cook-bro is useless, sniper-face is too freaked out by what we told him, and the doc's the same way. Those two are layering themselves with crosses or some such thing."

Her good sense told her that a storm was afoot, and an excruciating headache hit her. She said, "We have to get the others to see something's going on then. Luffy's pretty stupid sometimes, but he does notice people's moods. Maybe he knows there's something wrong already, and he's just trying to get her away from us."

At least, that was her hope. In truth, she was quite certain that their captain had been duped in some way, and they had to pull him out of some danger.

"This is the Florian Triangle," Robin said, and Nami bit her lip.

Some footsteps coming from behind, made her shriek, and turn around in surprise only to blush fiercely at the sight of Usopp. He raised an eyebrow at her, but said, "Have you guys seen Chopper?"

She blinked, and said, "Huh?"

Yawning, Zoro – whom had been napping beside the three conspirators – sat up, and blinked blearily at their sniper, "Eh? Chopper left? When?"

Usopp glanced around as if to make sure their doctor wasn't just hanging about the ship's deck, "I saw him about a half hour ago when we got into port."

Robin and Franky nodded to each other then, and he said, "We were talking to him a little bit before that."

Looking out toward the town again, searching for Luffy, Nami said, "And where's Sanji-kun?"

Zoro stood as the others looked around unsurely. He snorted to himself, and jumped up to stand on the rail of the ship, shading his eyes as he looked. He said, "I wouldn't be surprised if dumbass followed Luffy and the girl."

"Wait," Franky pointed at him, "are you on our side about the creepy chick now?"

"Aren't I always on your side!? I'm the first mate!"

Robin pointed out, "You didn't care before."

"Because it's Luffy. He can take care of himself. Dumbass and Chopper are different. One's a dumbass and the other's gullible," Zoro said.

"I wonder who's who," Usopp said with a light roll of his eyes.

"All right," Franky said, putting a massive arm into Zoro's path when he looked like he would charge. "Boys, and girls, I think it's about time we split up into groups. Let's find the cook-bro, Chopper, and Strawhat before someone else disappears. Got it?"

Nami's eyes trailed over the landscape waiting for them, and wondered where Luffy had gone. Kuru had spoken of a hill, and Nami searched the hills beyond the town before she squinted, a bit concerned when she finally found a house nestled kilometers away from the town with a spindly road leading to it. For a moment, she thought she could see two figures on that road, but after she blinked, they vanished.

!#$&()+

_Yes, that's right! It's my Halloween story, and the crew's on one hell of a ride. I hope you enjoy! Please, review! I want to finish this before Halloween._

!#$&()+


	2. What Never Forgets!

**The Island of Meat**

_What Never Forgets!_

_Straw Hat Luffy's Straw Hat!_

_Nami took his hand, and pulled him toward the beach, laughing when he yanked back. She fell against his chest, smiling up at him while he coiled his arms around her, and he squeezed tightly with a laugh._

_Luffy lowered his head to-_

He arched, and screamed, yanking his face away from her hot hands.

"No," she said. "Give it back, Luffy-kun. Look at me."

His eyes rolled around, trying to concentrate on something in the room, and he said, "But it-"

"I know it hurts, but it'll hurt more if you squirm," she said, her hands on his cheeks again, and he felt himself relax enough to look at her. "I'll fix it, Luffy-kun, and then we can enjoy a meal together. Would you like that?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm hungry."

She smiled, "I am too."

_Nami took his hand, and pulled him toward the beach, laughing when he yanked back. She fell against his chest, smiling up at-_

!#$&()+

Nami reassured herself that her Clima Tact was strapped to her thigh. She also tried to keep her eyes on the two men walking far ahead of her, scowling at their backs.

Earlier, she had told Franky and Zoro that they should not lose each other on the island, but upon finding absolutely no one in town, they had lost whatever cautiousness they had ever had, walking on ahead, and obviously assuming that she would be fine. She wasn't fine though – far from it. Luffy, Sanji, and Chopper were both missing within one hour?

_Oh, no,_ she thought, gritting her teeth in anger, _don't worry. That's not suspicious at all!_

The town had been the most daunting thing that they had seen that night too, but since no one had been there, Zoro and Franky had relaxed. She wanted to beat the two of them senseless, but after some thought, she figured someone had already gotten there before her.

Robin and Usopp had formed their own group and were traveling up the road toward the house that could be barely seen from the bay. With the two muscle heads, Nami had wanted to inspect the area around the town in case either Chopper or Sanji were there. As they passed empty window after empty window, she touched her Clima Tact again through her skirt. While the sun was setting, the reflection from the water caused slivers of broken glass to appear as if dipped in virulent blood.

So far, however, they had not seen another person on the island, and no irregular movement to allude to anyone's presence.

She stopped then, and turned around to look at the town as they were leaving to search the perimeter. Nami said, "Maybe we should check one of the buildings."

"For what?" Franky turned, a hand on his hip while he pointed at the deserted town with the other, "This place is completely empty. You said you saw people on the road anyway. Maybe they went somewhere."

"Do you really believe that? It was two people – maybe Luffy and Kuru!"

"Straw Hat can take care of himself," he said. "We should concentrate on just finding Chopper and your Sanji-kun."

She blinked, "Mine?"

He cocked his sunglasses down a notch to look over them and his metal nose before he shrugged, and put them back into place, "Just teasing."

Putting her hands on her hips, she said, "_Anyway_, I think we're going to have to keep an eye out for Zoro now."

"Huh?" Franky glanced around before he blanched upon realizing the other man was absent, "You got to be kidding me! He was just right here."

!#$&()+

Usopp clutched tightly at his slingshot, wishing that he had thought to bring his kabuto instead, but he was trekking the road with Robin. He had figured that this was a cut and dry job.

Go to the house, tell Luffy to come home, and if they saw Chopper or Sanji on the way, they would bring them along too.

Yet as the sun dropped into the sky, shadows seemed to reach out for him, and he jumped at the slightest sounds. So it was dark, and creepy! Those were perfectly good excuses to be afraid – for Robin, of course. He was afraid for Robin's safety.

As if reading his thoughts, she looked over her shoulder at him to smile. She said, "Usopp-kun, are you going to trail behind me this whole time?"

He stood a little taller, and said, "As the secret captain of the _Thousand Sunny_, I will protect you, Robin. Have no fear, for the Great Captain Usopp is never far behind!" Her warm smile only grew before she turned her head forward, but he continued talking, finding a bit of courage in his own lies, "If you feel a need to cower, it's understandable. This place is of a dark and foreboding nature. Any lesser being would be on their knees, begging for mercy to the coming darkness, but not I … Not Captain Usopp!"

"Usopp-kun."

Stunned, he backpedaled against a tree with a loud bang, and he panted heavily, looking back and forth down the long, winding dirt road, "What? What is it?"

"The road ends here."

Blinking a few times incomprehensibly, he then craned his neck to look around her at the ground. After a moment, his mind cleared enough to see what she meant, and he edged toward where the dirt road became grass. Pulling down his goggles, he inspected the road, where it ended, and then ahead to the grass beyond.

"Hmmm," he rubbed his chin, pressing one goggle-eye piece back onto his head, and leaving one on while he thought. "It might just be an old road. I'm not so sure where we'll end up if we just go straight though."

After a glance around them, he realized that – while there were sparse trees – they were surrounded by hills.

He pointed to a mound ahead, and said, "I'll go to the top, and look around." Usopp found that his knees were quaking, but said anyway, "Just stay on the road where it's safer."

So he climbed that hill, not looking back as he did, but as soon as he reached the peak, he turned around only to be temporarily amazed by the deep red of the sinking sun. When Usopp briefly eyed the small valley below, however, Robin was nowhere to be seen.

!#$&()+

_Kuru took his hand, and pulled him toward the beach, laughing when he yanked back. She fell against his chest, smiling up at him while he coiled his arms around her, and he squeezed tightly with a laugh._

_Luffy lowered his head to press his forehead to hers just before he kissed her. When he pulled back, he licked his lips, which made Kuru blush._

_He said, "You taste like-"_

Twitching, he shook his head, his eyelids weighed down by the thumbs gently pressed against them. He said, "They were-"

"Hold still!"

"Can't remember it," he said, arching, and he grabbed her wrists, trying to pull her hands off. "I can't remember …"

"That's why I'm here. Let me help you remember everything."

_Kuru took his hand, and pulled him toward the beach, laughing when he yanked back. She fell against his chest, smiling up at him while he coiled his arms around her, and he squeezed tightly with a laugh._

_Luffy lowered his head to press his forehead to hers just before he kissed her. When he pulled back, he licked his lips, which made Kuru blush._

_He said, "You taste good."_

!#$&()+

"How does he just disappear like that all the time?" Nami groaned, and held her poor head, "We only turned our backs for a second."

"Damn it," Franky created a massive fist, and punched a building wall. It shuddered hard, almost appearing as if it might topple before he pressed his hands against it quickly to hold it up. He looked at her after a moment, and said, "It's normal for him, right?"

"To get lost going in a straight line? Yeah."

He glanced down a street before he sighed, and shook his head, "Well, let's just concentrate on finding the people that _don't_ usually get lost then. I have a feeling we'll only waste our time with Zoro."

"Exactly," she said as they both turned a corner, leaving the wall to let it crash into the street.

Perhaps it was the sound of the booming wall that distracted her, but it took Nami a moment to realize just what she and Franky were in front of, and her strides faltered. The gateway loomed into the air with thin iron bars wrought intricately, ending in sharp points to stab the sky. Beyond it was a dreary little graveyard – sad and lonely. The door of the gate was swinging open and closed with the slightest blow of a breeze, releasing a shrill, almost indiscernible squeal of its joints.

Stepping forward, she grabbed the gate's door, holding it steady as her eyes briefly looked through it, wondering if Zoro had meandered inside. She stepped inside a bit then, attempting to concentrate on a grave in the distance which had something on it.

Nami glanced back at Franky, "I'm going to check something out."

"Well, I'm going with you," he said. "If _you_ go missing, I'll know there's something wrong."

"Why's that?"

"Well, you're not about to get lost anytime soon."

She found herself smiling despite their predicament, and said, "Stick with me, and even if we do 'go missing,' I'll find us a way out of it."

"Super," he gave her a thumb up.

The two began to walk into the cemetery, following a cobbled path through the grave rows toward the grave with the oddity. As they got closer, the object on the grave became clearer, and Nami's steps quickened until she was running with Franky loping after her.

"Oi, oi! What's wrong?"

"That's …!" She fell to her knees beside the gravestone, and snatched the hat quickly, bringing it to her chest – wide-eyed and abruptly terrified for her captain.

Franky leaned over her, his hand on her shoulder, "Straw Hat's straw hat?"

"What's it doing here? Luffy would've never left it behind for anything." Nami stood up, searching the graveyard with her eyes before looking about on the street, "Why would he ever leave this behind?"

!#$&()+

_The plot thickens! … I think. Thank you, everyone, for all of your wonderful reviews!_

**dbzgtfan2004: **_Thank you for the review!_

**Irenukia: **_Exactly! Naffy equals awesomeness._

**Kaydreams: **_Updated! Thanks for the review!_

**LuffysAngel: **_Well, I hope so too. I'm just trying to keep all the little plots and scenes in order so that it all makes sense. Thanks for reviewing!_

**Confession68: **_I tricked no one! You clicked the link on your own, babe. Thanks for reading and reviewing though! (I make no promises on the doll thing.)_

**Sonicmario: **_Eh? Really? Ah, well. All the more to creep you out with! Thanks for reviewing!_

**Yuria: **_I don't write those kinds of sad stories for One Piece. At least, I don't plan to because I love the feel of the show about how 99 percent of the people don't die. Thanks for the review!_

**catho: **_Will do! Thanks for the review!_

**wheathermangohanssj4:**_ Really? Hmm, I wasn't really shooting for anything like that. Thanks for reviewing!_

**b4k4 ch4n: **_The horrors might show in the next chapter … I think. Not entirely sure. And no, it's not part of _ALPTN_. Thanks for the review!_

**Midori Blue: **_-salutes- I shall and will! Thank you!_

!#$&()+


	3. Stirred Blood!

**The Island of Meat**

_Stirred Blood!_

_Scent of a Dead Town!_

"How'd I get here?" Zoro scratched his head, staring up at the sight of the _Thousand Sunny_ docked at the bay.

Turning around, he rubbed at his chin while walking up a street. A few moments later, he found himself in front of the bay again, and he gaped at the sight.

"What the hell, man!?"

With a sigh, he sat down cross-legged.

_Nami wagged her finger at him, and said, "If you ever find yourself going in circles again, just sit down and wait for one of us to show up!"_

His ears burned fiercely, "That damned woman! Treating me like some little brat …"

The town was quiet. All he could hear was the lapping of waves washing the shore, but with the dead silence of the town as a background, Zoro had little with which to distract himself.

He realized that he couldn't hear any wind, and he sat up straight as if that might summon it. Out on the water, surrounded by nothing but sky and ocean, the wind was a constant backdrop of their life. However, its sudden absence brought to light the small shuffle of feet.

After a moment, he stood up, hearing the town begin to come alive. The sun sank behind him and _Sunny_.

They came out in odd clumps, reforming and then forming again, appearing as if they were congregating with one another in random bouts. Yet, their movement was a step too slow, and their limbs too rigid to make it look like a natural gathering of people.

Only those that walked in front appeared to move more fluidly, dressed in long, red cloaks that flipped about as they walked, but the way their backs were nearly straight made Zoro rethink the notion that they might be normal.

The crowd stopped in front of him a few paces, and Zoro narrowed his eyes at them. He said, "You're a sorry looking lot. Were you hiding in your homes this whole time?"

A man in a red cloak began to drool, dripping down over his lips and past his chin.

When the saliva hit the dock, Zoro said, "I can see that this conversation isn't going to go anywhere."

Zoro didn't see them spring forward, and when he realized it, he could only roll to the side, yelping when a fist broke through the stone dock where his feet had just been. Whirling about-face, he braced himself against the ground, and unsheathed Wado Ichimonji with a displeased scowl. The men in red – nine in all – slowly slunk upright from their lunged positions.

Each man had slammed their fists so hard into the stone that they had left impacts.

This was not what made Zoro blanch, however.

He likely would have not taken note of it otherwise, but there were a few drops of blood falling which caught his eye. Zoro looked straight at the hand of one of the men which was formed into a tight fist. It was laden with bruises, cracked skin, and scars. That which surprised him the most was the broken fingers from the recent impact.

"You guys are insane!"

They charged again.

!#$&()+

Robin knelt in front of the end of the road, tilting her head just so, and pondering over the little riddle of the road's finish.

"When one reaches the end of the road, that signifies the end of the journey," she said to herself. "I wonder. Are we there already?" She patted the top of the grass where it began beyond the dirt road.

She smiled when the grass lifted as if on a hinge, and she stepped down the flight of stairs. Just as she was about to think that the grass door might stay open for Usopp to find, it slid shut again. Robin studied the shut door, and decided that their sharpshooter might discover the hidden opening, so she continued onward.

The stairs ended, forming into a plain stone tunnel. Lit with torches, the cavern was very warm and dry, but it was rather dim – a cheerful little place to Nico Robin.

When she reached a door, she merely opened it, and stepped inside.

Kuru was just walking into the same room from a door opposite of Robin. She stopped with a cooled expression on her features, and she said, "My. A stranger in our house? Did you come with Kuru?"

Robin's lips pursed before she said, "I did. I think I have been under the assumption that you are she, however."

"Oh, no," she said, tilting her head with the same smile as the other girl. "Kuru is my twin. I am Kaliban. It's a pleasure to meet you. Won't you come have dinner with us?"

She blinked, and said, "Dinner?"

"Yes, we're getting hungry. Our new friend needs nourishment as well."

"Are you talking about our captain? Luffy?"

Kaliban smiled, "Luffy-kun is such a sweet boy. Kuru is preparing him for our meal right now. I can't wait to share."

Lowering her head, Robin glanced about the room with her eyes, and said, "Share what exactly? The town was empty, and there are no livestock or evidence of livestock anywhere on this island. The fields were rather bare of animals as well."

"Did you know that humans used to be herbivores? We only eat meat because we like the taste. We could all live quite happily on vegetables, fruits, and nuts."

"I'm sorry, but I thought this was the Island of Meat. Shouldn't there be livestock?"

The grin grew to show her pearly whites, and Kaliban said, "They're in town. You see, I find animals fed naturally to have the best taste, but sometimes we desire something with more fat on their bones." Robin paled. "Won't you come into the kitchen? I would love for you to join us for dinner."

!#$&()+

Usopp screamed.

He stared at the spot where Robin had been for a terribly long time before he scrambled down the hill.

"Robin! Robin, where'd you go!? Ro" – he tripped over an errant stone, and rolled the rest of the way down the hill before popping back onto his feet – "bin!"

Panting, he stood before the end of the road, searching it and then looking around the rest of the small valley even though he could see everything from the road. The sudden crackling of a branch breaking sent shudders down his spine, and he went shock-still.

His neck seemed to creak as he turned his head after a bit of deliberation, and his jaw dropped.

There at the summit of one of the hills around him was a hulking figure, framed in starlight and a rising moon.

His voice cracked as he tried to find something to say – anything that would scare the monster away before it caught sight of him. _Surely, it tracked me here though, _he thought. _It could smell me, and it followed me here to eat me! Robin! Luffy! Where is everybody!?_

Whipping out his slingshot – his first line of defense – he prepared ammunition for his first attack. He said, pulling it back, and aiming, "Certain Death! Iron Star!"

It said, "Uso-" The Tobasco Star plunked perfectly into the monster's mouth, and it paused in surprise before fire shot out of its mouth, "Too hot! It's too hot!"

"Hah! That'll teach you to mess with the Great! Captain! Usopp!"

"Usopp! It's me!" The figure coughed a few times before it shrunk down, and Usopp blinked before pulling down his goggles only to catch the features of a reindeer in Brain Point.

"Chopper!? What're you-? Where've you-? What the hell are you doing running around in Heavy Point!?" His teeth chattered a bit, looking around as if something else might pop out of nowhere, "Honestly, you might've scared a lesser man creeping up over the hills like that!"

Chopper ran down then, smiling with tears, and waving, "I'm so glad I found you, Usopp! I was just about to head back, but I saw you on the hill."

"Ah? So where'd you go?"

"I was following Kuru and Luffy. They didn't stay on the path, and I was tracking their scent." He noticed Chopper's worried face then when he said, "But then the scent ended, and I couldn't figure out why."

"You were following them? But why? She's just some girl, right?"

He toed the ground with a hoof, looking down as he said, "Well, that's what I was thinking at first, but I don't like the smell of this island, there're no other animals, and the …" he looked up with wavering eyes, "the whole town smells like blood. Usopp, I'm scared."

Kneeling down, he put his hands onto his shoulders, "Wait, Chopper, calm down. Robin just disappeared. You got to help me track her."

"Robin?" His little nose twitched before he nodded, and wiped away his tears. Changing into his Walking Point, he sniffed at the ground before he stopped at the end of the road, "It's freshest here."

"What do you mean?"

"This is where it stops. Just like when I was tracking Luffy and Kuru," he said. "Both trails just end suddenly like this."

Usopp said, "But … they can't just disappear, Chopper. There's got to be an explanation for this."

"Well, I don't get it either!" Chopper looked back to the hill from which he had come, and said, "First I thought she was just sick, and so I kept an eye on her. She got better so fast though, and her cheeks were almost glowing when she left with Luffy."

"You don't think she's sucking up his spirit, do you!?"

"But Luffy wasn't any different!"

Sighing, Usopp forced himself to relax, and he said, "So what do you think happened? I saw her health improve too."

"She was out on that boat for days, she said. There was no scent of water or food onboard, but I think … she was out there longer than she said that she was. We weren't that far from this island too, and she had her Eternal Pose. So why didn't she just swim back?"

Snapping his fingers, Usopp said, "Maybe she ate a Devil Fruit."

"That's when I remembered something," Usopp looked down at Chopper's quavering face. "It was in one of my medical books. The Blood Blood Fruit lets someone control blood. Metabolism, blood sugar, adrenaline … they can be controlled by a Blood Human to slow down and speed up at will. With that kind of ability, she could have been out there for weeks just waiting for someone to come by and lead here."

"What would she want with us?"

Sniffling, he wiped at his eyes again, and said, "I don't know, but I don't want anything bad to happen to Luffy or Robin."

"Sanji went missing too," Usopp said.

With a blink, he raised his head again, "Huh? Sanji?"

"Yeah, around the same time that you did. We thought he might've followed you or Kuru and Luffy."

"I haven't smelled him on the island at all."

Usopp's face faulted, "Huh!?"

!#$&()+

"Kggh!" Zoro's knees slammed to the ground, and he tried to push himself back up. Panting, he squinted at the advancing foe with one eye – the other matted with dried blood from an earlier punch. "Damn it! Say something! Who are you people?"

His elbows faltered, and they all closed in on him.

!#$&()+

_Now comes the tricky part. Keeping everything flowing smoothly for the remainder of the story … And yes, that's right. No Luffy or Nami in this chapter! They'll be there again in the next chapter though – this is just a transitional period._

**Kaydreams: **_So many questions … none of which I will answer. :D Thanks for the review though!_

**Mr. 4: **_Mmm, coagulating._

**Confession68:**_ What a messy mess it shall be … So did I at least creep you out with the beginning?_

**Yuria: **_I refuse to tell you … Though I suppose about a third of what is happening was explained this chapter. Thanks for the review!_

**CSI Kaizoku: **_He wouldn't, huh? Fufufu._

**b4k4 ch4n: **_Actually … nah, I won't tell you. I'll tell you later in like … the last chapter or something. Thanks for reviewing!_

**LuffysAngel: **_The plot is coagulating apparently._

**Sonicmario: **_:D Your freaked out-ness pleases me greatly. I hope this chapter freaked you out just a little bit more. Thanks for the review!_

**wheathermangohanssj4: **_Eh? Really? I give up reading bios after the first time, so I guess I didn't notice it at first._

!#$&()+


	4. Memory as a Bait!

**The Island of Meat**

_Memory as a Bait!_

_Sanji's Craving!_

Wanting to keep his hat safe, she stuck it on her head, stroking the slightly frayed rim before she looked at Franky. She wanted to ask what they should do, but he seemed as clueless as her, and she couldn't imagine putting someone just as confused as her in charge. Nami at least could keep a level head, but it felt odd when Luffy was missing so abruptly and with his hat the only thing left of him.

Franky said, "Well, we can't just sit around in graveyards all night, lil' sister."

Looking up at him, she nodded, and stood, dusting her legs off before she turned to the exit of the cemetery. As they walked, she said, "It just doesn't make any sense. Did he leave it here for us? Does he think it's too dangerous?"

"I doubt it," Franky said. "If he thought it was dangerous, he'd have run back to get us to join in on the fun."

She found a light laugh in that, and she said, "Yeah ... but it still doesn't explain his hat just sitting on the grave there."

"It doesn't do us any good to worry about him either."

Nodding, she said, "Let's search the hills now. This town seems empty anyway." Franky stopped suddenly, cocking his head as if listening to something, and she ceased walking beside him, "Franky?"

He grinned then, and said, "I'd take that back now if I were you. I hear something going down."

"Huh? What is it?"

"I hear that first mate shouting about something or other. Super!" Grinning wider, he gave her a thumb up. "Sounds like we're going to have some fun."

"I'm right-" behind them the graveyard's gateway squealed open, and she spun around in surprise.

"Straw Hat! Glad you could join us!" Franky ran down the street, away from the two and toward the sounds of a quickly escalating fight, "Let's go see what Zoro's gotten himself into!"

Only, Luffy didn't move. He stayed at the gateway of the graveyard as Nami took off his hat, "Luffy?"

While Franky disappeared around a corner, Nami held the hat to her breast, wondering why he hadn't said anything. Then he smirked, licking his top lip before it wrapped around to trace over his bottom lip, and her heart almost exploded – eyes wide as he advanced.

"You're not …"

He sprang towards her, and she leapt out of his path, hitting the road, and rolling a bit. Scrambling to her feet, she leaned back against a building, clutching at the wall.

"You're not Luffy!"

The young man grinned again, poised as if he might attempt another jump on her. Nami edged to the side to get out from between Luffy and a hard place. She shrieked when he leapt again, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she hugged his hat.

When she wasn't tackled to the ground, one eye creaked open to look at him, and then she opened both eyes to gape at him, realizing he had only jumped half a meter towards her. His lips were still formed into a strange grin, but they seemed to have a taunting air about them, and she swallowed hard, sliding across the wall again in case he didn't want to play anymore.

"Luffy …? If you are Luffy, stop goofing around. Zo – Zoro might need our help. He's fighting someone." She lifted a hand to point toward the way, but then Luffy jumped again, and she cringed away, scowling when she saw that he had only jumped the rest of the meter. "Damn it, stop that!"

He began to chuckle, striding toward her, and she separated from the wall, walking into the street to step backwards away from him.

Her grip on his hat tightened, "Luffy! Please …"

Ignoring her, he kept walking, his pace quickening just slightly, and she hopped back a few before walking faster backwards, feeling a cold sweat over her body. The building of a door creaked open, and she risked looking towards it only to see a man totter out as if unsure of his legs, and her heart froze inside her chest as he lunged at her. Already on the brink of horror from Luffy's behavior, she screamed, ducking away before she heard a loud crack.

Looking up, she saw that the man was gone, but glancing at Luffy, she realized that he must've stretched his arm out to grab the stranger to smash foreheads. As he dropped the man, and walked over him, her knees tottered together.

"Say something! Anything!" She lifted his hat a bit as if she just remembered it was there, and she said, "Is it this? Do you want your hat back, Luffy?" Grinning widely, he shook his head. Surprisingly, she felt a smidgen of relief from that act, and she thought, _At least, I know he can understand what I'm saying. Why isn't he talking though?_ She said, "Please, Luffy, say something to me. What's wrong with you?"

When he dashed toward her, she realized that she had stopped walking, and she almost tripped over her own feet before she managed to regain control of them, running down the street. In high heels, she was almost certain that Luffy could easily catch up with her, but glancing back she saw that he was just barely keeping out of range.

He wasn't flushed or panting however, easily running a step behind her with that huge smile.

_He's …! He's just playing with me!_

!#$&()+

He had only realized it a few hours after she had arrived. It was a daunting, completely unheard of situation, and he feared what might happen to him in the future. All had seemed dark and unbearable suddenly – even the sweet figures of three gorgeous women on deck did little to distract him from the horror.

Sanji was running low on cigarettes.

It should not have happened. Before leaving Water 7, he had made sure to buy as many packs as possible with the precious money that his precious Nami had given to him, but the morning after Kuru had joined them, he had found only _one_ pack – hidden in the freezer to keep them fresh. They had their own separate compartment in the freezer! Yet, they were somehow all gone.

He had done his absolute best with what he had – scraping and saving every last puff, inhalation, smoker's cough, and exhalation that he could.

And yet, as he searched desperately for some pack that he might have forgotten about, he had come down to his very last cigarette. One cigarette was not enough. One cigarette was suicide. One cigarette would be gone before he had even taken a breath.

In his attempt to find another pack or even a second, third or fourth cigarette, it took him a while to notice just how quiet the ship was. He finally took a break from the search for a glance about the ship before he realized they had docked, and he scratched his head in confusion, looking out at the empty town in the night.

"Shit," he said, and then he looked at his last cigarette before he carefully put it in his shirt pocket. He looked back at what he had first noticed – several dozens of violently made impacts in the solid stone, eyes narrowed at the bits of blood and tiny part of torn flesh. He said, "I hope Robin-chan and Nami-san are all right with those jerks."

Getting up on the railing, he jumped down onto the dock, and frowned at the small impacts again before rising to walk into the town. He was worried about the girls, but his need for nicotine was skewing his sense of priorities.

_There's just one left,_ he kept telling himself. _Only one more, and then it's gone._

He couldn't remember the last time his cigarette stockpile had depleted entirely. If there ever had been a time, he was quite certain that he didn't want to remember it either.

Then he saw it.

Breaking into a dead run, he kicked the store door open, ignoring the fact that it was closed at this hour. He passed under the sign that said 'Tobacco' and gaped at the empty shelves. Using the shocked moment afterwards to think fast, he glanced about before seeing the backdoor of the store, and kicked it open when he found it locked too.

Stepping inside, he scowled at the shelves coated in dust and cobwebs.

"Shit!" He turned about face, and started to knock on the walls with his ears pressed to them, listening for any hollowed sounds. Sanji found a few which he kicked in, only to find no packs of nicotine, no cigarettes. He muttered, fingering the last cigarette in his pocket, "No cigar, eh?"

Getting a bit frantic, he looked around again, wondering if he had missed anything in the initial sweep. He crouched under the desk counter, opening drawers and such things before looking into corners, and peeking through cracks in the wall.

"Shit, shit. Shitty shit, shit."

He kicked the counter across the store, and then sat against the wall, waving away the billowing dust of the crash. Sanji touched the cigarette in his pocket again, feeling his nervousness get the best of him. After a moment, he dragged his hand away, and he stood up, brushing dust from his pants.

"I wonder what happened to this store though," he said after his thoughts cleared a bit. "Come to think of it, there was no one on the streets – it's just one thing after another. First my cigarettes disappear, then everyone's gone, and there's blood on the dock. Now there's not a soul in town?" He strode out of the store, sometimes kicking little stones on his way down the road, and he said, "Well, shit."

"Stop it!"

His head jerked up, recognizing one of the sweetest voices that had ever graced his ears, "Nami-swan!"

!#$&()+

Rubbing his chin, Usopp, nodded, his eyes going to the end of the road, and he said, "This is a strange turn of events."

"What should we do then?"

"Either we check out what happened to Luffy and Kuru, or we stick around here to try tracking Robin, or … we go back to the _Thousand Sunny_."

"No," Chopper said, "we can't go back!"

_Crap …! I don't want to leave them behind either, but I'm not about to walk any deeper into this place! At least, I know that Luffy can take care of himself._ Striking a pose as he pointed at the end of the road – which he was standing on – as he stomped his foot twice as if to make his decision more authoritative, "It is our duty to assure Nico Robin's safety! To ignore her obvious need for help would make us less of men. How could we think of running whe-"

And then the ground moved, and he toppled over in surprise and from the loss of balance.

"Usopp! The ground's coming up!"

He cried, "Zombies!"

"What!? Zombies!?" Chopper turned into Brain Point, and clutched at Usopp's arm, "I don't like zombies, Usopp."

Finding himself snapping out of it when he saw the trap-door-like grass lifting up to reveal a staircase, he gave Chopper a shake, "Oi, wait! Look there!"

Pausing, he did so, blinking before he gaped, "Stairs! Robin must be down there."

"Ah!" They both shouted when the trap-door began to close.

Rising, Usopp chucked the diminutive reindeer down the stairs before he dove in behind him, "Hah!"

As Usopp sat up in the dark hallway, Chopper grew into his Heavy Point, "Why'd you throw me!? It's scary down here, and the blood's stronger!"

"We just have to find Robin, and get out of here, Chopper." He made a reassuring gesture to try calming him, "Let's just get moving."

"Hmhm," they froze, staring at each other since neither had made the noise. "Hello, boys."

"Uwaaaah …!"

!#$&()+

Nami panted, clutching at the tree, and bent over with her other hand on her knee. Looking up, she searched for Luffy in the forest, biting her lip to keep from whimpering – because she wanted to whimper.

_What is he trying to do?_ She stumbled a few feet forward, looking around the tree she was leaning against.

Shrieking, she fell back onto her posterior when she found herself facing Luffy.

He grinned, reclining against the tree with his arms crossed before him, and he cocked his head as he watched her. His tongue crept out to lick wide, smiling lips.

"Luffy …" she gritted her teeth before she tried again, "Luffy, stop it right this minute. You don't want to do this." _Whatever 'this' is!_

"But I do," he said.

Blinking in surprise, she stared at him until he stepped toward her, and she pulled herself back to her feet quickly, backing away. She said, "Why are you doing this, Luffy? I'm your navigator. We're friends."

"You're dinner."

Eyes widening, she didn't get the chance to dodge when he tackled her back against the ground, "No!"

His mouth latched around her neck, sucking away as she attempted to buck him off – confused and much too hypersensitive. With her mind whirling, Luffy's mouth moved down slowly, tasting her skin, and lapping up sweat with a relish, and she clung at the shirt on his back, and she could feel that whimper come up her throat.

"Stop, Luffy …"

He bit her chest, just above the hem of her shirt, and she punched him, rolling away.

"What the hell was that for!?"

"I'm hungry," he lunged at her again, and her head struck the ground hard. Groaning, she clutched at it before he tried sinking his teeth into her shoulder.

"Stop it!"

!#$&()+

_Yeesh, I'm running late here … but here you go! Probably not going to finish in time for Halloween, but I might finish in the week regardless._

**Raven the Ravenous: **_About time you reviewed! You!_

**Irenukia: **_Whee?_

**LuffysAngel: **_:D Won't tell you what's going on with Luffy … Thanks for the review!_

**Confession68: **_Chopper was talking about the Blood Blood Fruit. Weren't you reading? Thanks for the review!_

**Yuria: **_Don't worry, you'll see what's going on with Luffy soon. Also … _Kisoj_ is written in Esperanto. It's a severely easy language to learn – really, in about a few weeks you'd be able to read or at least understand _Kisoj_ and _Amo de Marrabisto

**Kaydreams: **_It's spelled 'cannibals,' and … I'm not answering that. Thanks for reviewing!_

**b4k4 ch4n: **_I guess you find out what happened to Sanji in this chapter … And I won't answer anything else – because I'm like that. Thanks for the review!_

**Mr. 4: **_Got gravy?_

**Nico Rune: **_I likes me my tabasco. Thanks for the review!_

**Sonicmario: **_Oooh … I don't think it's like that, but thanks!_

**wheathermangohanssj4:**_ Yay._

!#$&()+


	5. Usopp Tenderloin!

**The Island of Meat**

_Usopp Tenderloin!_

_Stop Crying_

Usopp and Chopper clutched to the other as the young woman approached them.

"Ku-! Kuru!" Pointing at her somewhat bravely, Usopp said, "What have you done with Robin!?"

The girl frowned gently, "I'm not Kuru."

"You sure do look like her!"

Chopper's nose twitched, and then he cocked his head to look behind her, "Robin!"

Usopp looked around her as well, and smiled, "Ah! You're all right!"

"She's mine," the girls said, and Usopp blinked, gaping at her. "I'm Kaliban. Nico Robin, Monkey D. Luffy, and this whole island are prisoners."

"What? No, Robin!"

"Oi, Robin," Usopp said slowly, not reading any reaction out of her. "We need to get out of here, and find the others. Chopper said there might be something wrong with that Kuru chick."

"Robin!" Chopper jumped up and down excitedly, waving his arms while tears flowed freely. "It's way too scary here, and everything smells like blood, and, Robin, I couldn't track down Luffy and Kuru!"

Gesturing toward the yet unexplored reaches of the tunnel, Kaliban said, "My twin sister and her new lover, Luffy-kun, used another exit."

"Eh!?" Usopp pointed at her, his voice an audible decibel higher than usual as he said, "Stop joking! That's insane! Luffy just met Kuru. He'd never fall for someone just like that. That's Sanji's thing. You must have the wrong guy."

"Oh, no. He told me himself, Usopp-kun," she said.

"Huh?"

Looking back and forth between them, Chopper said, "How do you know his name?"

"I know you too, Chopper-kun." She said, her smile warm and friendly, "I read the memories from Nico Robin and Luffy-kun. They were very fond of you."

Usopp twitched, "'Were?'"

"Yes," she said. "I took their memories of you, and now it's like you never existed … I did have some trouble with Luffy-kun, but I replaced his memories with new ones. It's almost like they've never met you all before."

"What's that supposed to mean? Did you eat a Devil Fruit too?"

She just smiled, raising her hand to gesture to Robin. "Come, I think that boy looks delicious."

"Uh?"

"I already have a recipe in mind. It'll take a day to prepare, but it'll be worth it." She tilted her head back, licking her lips, "Fillet the skin, rub in the salt to season the meat, and then I could drizzle a tobasco mixture over you …"

"Wha – what!? You – it can't be! Are you a cannibal!?"

Chopper hopped a bit to gain his attention, and said, "Usopp! What's a cannibal?"

"She's a human that eats other humans."

"She eats _humans_?" Eyes sparkling, Chopper said, "That means I'm safe!"

Usopp nearly sobbed, "What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Nico Robin, fetch my dinner!"

Jerking to attention, Usopp whipped out his slingshot, aiming at the woman, "Don't you try it, Robin! You know us! We're crewmates. The only reason we have to attack each other is for our own good!"

"Triente-"

Squeezing his eyes shut, he said, "And this is for your own good! Certain Death! Pachinko Star!"

!#$&()+

He realized that they were gone when he saw Zoro kneeling among a group of people. Panting, he looked back over his shoulder, only to see an empty street.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Oi, Franky."

Turning back to the swordsman, he grinned and waved, "Ah! Roronoa Zoro, we've been looking for you."

"Don't move," he said, slowly sheathing his katana. Zoro had a long series of scratches and bruises down his arms, and a black eye. The people around him swayed in the wind, circled about him, but otherwise unmoving.

"Ah? What's going on here?"

Zoro calmly rubbed the back of his neck as if to work out a kink, and said, "They're attracted to excitement. So don't be your normal self and make a ruckus or they'll attack until you go still."

Flicking up his sunglasses to look at him, Franky eyed the younger man and then the nine men closest to Zoro. He said, "Attracted to excitement? So you can't move anymore with these jerks around? Or do you think you can get up and walk away with me without stirring 'em?"

He raised his head to scowl at the nine men in red, tattered cloaks before he nodded, and gradually stood. The group of nine lurched slightly toward him, but Zoro went on his way, unconcerned with them, and they finally hung back with the crowd.

Franky looked back at them just before going around the corner, but they didn't seem likely to give chase. He said a few moments later with a deep grimace, "I saw Straw Hat a while ago."

"Where's Nami?"

"Probably with him," he said. "I asked them to come along, but now that I think of it, I didn't wait for Straw Hat to answer, and I just ran for you when I heard fighting."

"Ah? I haven't been fighting them for a while now."

Blinking, he glanced at him, and said, "Then what were all those sounds of walls coming down?"

"Stop it!"

"Nami-swan!"

A building abruptly collapsed in front of them, and a cook burst from it, then continued running down the road. The two looked at each other before taking off after him.

"Oi, Love Cook!"

"Brother Cook!"

He looked over his shoulder, but kept running, "Shitty bastards, pick up the pace! Nami-san needs me!"

"Khh!" Zoro grunted, and said, "I'm surprised she wasn't screaming because of _you_!"

"Just what are you suggesting, shit-face!?"

"The only reason you can keep your hands to yourself is that you're stuck in the kitchen so much! And you think you're practicing while sucking your death sticks!"

"Shove it, Gangrene Hair!"

!#$&()+

Nami slammed her palm into Luffy's face, dislodging his mouth from her shoulder before she punched him with her other fist. When he wasn't immediately thrown off, she brought her knee up into his stomach, and he finally rolled off with a groan, giving her the chance to scramble onto her own two feet.

"Nami-swan!"

Her head jerked up, eyes searching through the forest as she ran back toward the town, "Sanji-kun!"

An arm stretched out to catch her shoulder, yanking her back into Luffy's arms, and she struggled, her hand reaching down to her thigh. She managed to wrench away from him, and brought her Perfect Clima Tact out to crack it against his skull.

He went down with a thud, and she nearly sobbed in relief as she fell back, weak in the knees. Taking deep breaths to compose herself, Nami finally collected enough poise to stand on trembling legs, and backpedaled away from her motionless captain. She thought, _If I hadn't done it, it would've been me._

Glimpsing over their surroundings, her ears perked at the clamor coming from where she suspected the town to be, and slowly began to recognize the shouting voices.

"Oi, Nami."

She spun around, brandishing her Clima Tact as her captain advanced. Nami said, "Stop this, Luffy, please."

"You're being kind of a pain, Nami. Come 'ere."

"No!"

"It'll be over soon anyway," he said. "Maybe I can tenderize you first though. You'd like that before I finished with you, right?"

She didn't want to ask, but the way he licked his lips seemed to carry a more sensual tone to it, and her stomach flipped, "Luffy … what do you mean?"

His eyes lit up – almost as if he were himself again, "I'll have to find my fun in my meals if that little stick thinks she can please me." Luffy advanced, and Nami's knees quaked, "I wouldn't have to eat you if you came quietly."

"No," she found herself saying to her own credit, and she said it again with more vigor, "No. You're not Luffy."

Unfortunately, he still looked like the young man that had touched her heart, and she couldn't make herself move away when he pressed her against a tree. Leaning back, she felt his large hands grip her waist, slipping gradually up the sides of her trembling body, and he smirked. Luffy said, "Can I take that as a yes?"

"No, no, you're not …"

"I can be," he said, and his thigh slid up between hers, causing a short gasp to escape.

"Luffy, Nami!" Relief flooded through her when familiar voices reached them.

"Watch out! He's not Luffy!"

"Agh!" All three stopped short, and Sanji burst into flames, "You shit for brains! Luffy, get off Nami-swan, or I'll skewer you!"

Franky grinned, and said, pointing behind them with a thumb, "Ah, sorry about that. We could leave you be for a minute." He looked at Zoro, "Oi, Roronoa, tie down the cook already."

She shrieked, "Get him off me! He's not Luffy!"

Smirking, Luffy clamped his hand over her mouth, lifting her into the air much to their shock. Nami tried to scream, but the grip on her jaw and face stopped her, and she clasped at his wrist, attempting to wring his hand away.

"Nami-san!"

Zoro unsheathed his katana, but didn't move otherwise, and he said, "What …? Luffy! What the hell are you doing to her?"

The group edged no further. Nami was in his grip, and any attack on his person would affect her just as much – if not more. She kicked, struggling against him as he held her aloft, and she felt dizzy. Luffy smiled at her, and she felt sick. _It's not him. This can't be him. You're somebody else. Luffy would never ever … he wouldn't hurt me._ Tears swelled in her eyes, flowing freely down her cheeks to his hand.

He dropped her, clutching at his hand, staring at the tears that had fallen on it with shock before raising wide eyes to her face. He said, "Why …?"

Sniffing, she wiped at her cheeks, still trying to get the feeling back into her jaw as Sanji came forward, and said "How dare you lay a hand on Nami-san, you shitty excuse for a man."

"Stop that," he said, still gazing at Nami, and she finally looked up at him. "Stop that right now!"

"Huh-?"

Luffy swung his fist at her, "Stop crying!"

!#$&()+

_Haven't ended on a cliffhanger in a while, so here. Yes, I do realize this isn't exactly a gift. Also, for those out of the loop, I've got a pinched nerve so that's why I didn't post last week … kind of. I also had a sort of mental block when it came to this. I had this part planned in so many ways in my head, when it finally came down to doing it, my brain short-circuited._

**Raven the Ravenous: **_Uh … no, she left only one __**pack**__ of cigarettes behind. Sanji just smoked 'em until he had only the one left._

**b4k4 ch4n: **_Mm, it's nice to know that people don't mind the lateness … but it's really late to be writing a Halloween story in November!_

**Confession68: **_Good. Sanji's annoyed all right … I can't tell you what happens though. -is just plain like that-_

**santoryuu-zoro: **_XP_

**Kaydreams: **_Hey, hey, hey. No assuming things with me!_

**Sonicmario: **_XP Yeah, probably … Doesn't remind me much of that movie at all really. Why are you calling his being addicted to cigarettes a fetish?_

**Mr. 4: **_You going to share once you gut that thing?_

**Nico Rune: **_Will do! Sanji was a lot of fun to write for in that last chapter …_

**Zinfer: **_Luffy refuses to stop._

**CSI Kaizoku: **_It only ends when all the world stops! Or something. Besides, Halloween themes are fun._

**wheathermangohanssj4: **_Oi, oi. I think you should write that._

**LuffysAngel: **_Uh … A month later isn't too bad, right? XP_

!#$&()+


	6. Swirly Guy!

**The Island of Meat**

_Swirly Guy!_

_The Last Cigarette_

For one split moment, she felt the wind of his fist as it went straight to her head, but then a different gust overlapped it as Sanji stepped forward. Hiking his knee high into the air, he blocked Luffy's punch, gritting teeth as their captain kept pressing his fist as if to attempt breaking through the cook's leg. Scowling at Luffy, he said, "Is that any way to treat a lady? Shit for brains."

Pulling back, Luffy punched at his chest, which Sanji just barely deflected with his knee before shifting to kick high to Luffy's head. Just barely dodging, he leaned his head away before reaching up to grab Sanji's leg. He lifted the larger man right off the ground, and began to swing him quickly around his body, almost growling before he chucked him into a tree.

He turned back to Nami, but she had already risen to her feet, and steadied herself against a tree. Standing between her and Luffy was Zoro and Franky.

Lifting his remaining katana, Zoro said, "What the hell's gotten into you?"

"I'm hungry," he said, eyes glinting, and he pointed at Nami. "That's dinner." Cracking the knuckles of the hand pointing at Nami, he advanced, "Get out of the way."

"All right, Straw Hat," Franky cocked his right hand up, pointing it at their captain, "I don't know what's going on, but you obviously need to be stopped. I thought you were a good kid … but here you are making passes with Sister Nami!"

"Franky! Zoro! He's really trying to eat me." She pulled her neckline down a bit to show the bitten flesh, "He almost bit a chunk out of me!"

Zoro's jaw dropped, and he said, "You're kidding me."

"He's not trying to eat you, Nami-san," Sanji said, finally upright, and padding his shirt pocket for cigarettes before stopping himself, and he forced his hands into his pant pockets. "I know competition when I see it."

"Shishishi …" Nami swallowed hard when Luffy looked at her between the other two men, his head slightly lowered. He said, "Baby, is this swirly guy" – "Oi, rubber boy!" – "going after you? I'll take him out if you want. I might have to get rid these two jerks too though."

She blinked, staring at him not in surprise, but confusion. Nami said, "Luffy, don't you remember them?"

"Who?"

His brow creased, and Franky's hand lowered slightly.

Snorting, Zoro just gripped the handle of his katana tighter, and he said, "It doesn't matter if he remembers us or not."

Nami scowled, and said, "What?"

"Jackass is right, Nami-san," Sanji said. "He's wrongfully attacked you, and that doesn't sit well with us – no matter what Luffy remembers."

"Franky, talk some sense into them! Something's not right here – you know that, right? Ever since we got to this island, things have been going all wrong," she said.

"No, I think they're right too. I do want to know what's going on though."

"Franky!"

Zoro said, "Make up your mind, woman! First, you tell us to beat him up, and now you're telling us to back down? Forget it!"

"If he doesn't know who we are, we should help him. Why don't you idiots just _stop_ him for now!?"

"Now you're really talking nonsense," he said.

Beginning to pale, her eyes slowly turned to the rather silent young man, and she thought, _He's right. No one's ever stopped him before._ He smirked at her when he realized where her gaze was, and she swallowed hard, edging around the tree as if to hide behind it. _Luffy – whether he remembers us or not – is a powerhouse! He wouldn't stop for all the world._

Luffy said after licking his lips, "Aah, you know, huh, Nami?" He stepped forward, "Quit resisting."

Zoro leveled his blade to Luffy's throat, which made him stop short, and Nami suddenly said, "Luffy, you know my name. Why don't you remember theirs?"

He twitched, and she flinched when he pulled back his fists, "Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!" Franky and Zoro were practically blown away by his fists, but the duo caught themselves on their feet quickly enough, rushing to meet him when he jumped for Nami. Bracing himself, Luffy was ground to a halt – Franky's large hands on his shoulders, and Luffy's hands pressed tightly to the side of Zoro's blade, having caught it.

Their hold lasted for a few seconds.

Luffy pushed, and their feet began to slide back to their greatest astonishment. They attempted to regain their footing, but they were losing too much ground too fast. Zoro finally said through grinding teeth, "Nami! Beat it!"

Spooked by the intensity of Luffy's eyes when he had stormed toward her, Zoro's voice returned her to lucidness, and she parted from the tree, starting to run. She heard metal cut through the air then and a "Strong Right!" before two bodies hit the ground. Nami risked looking over her shoulder to see Zoro and Franky partially embedded into the earth, and she yanked her eyes away, tearing across the forest floor.

!#$&()+

The moment Nami was out of sight, Luffy's strength seemed to increase tenfold.

Sanji ran, charging Luffy when he slammed the other two into the ground. As if he heard him, Luffy turned his head to look over his hunched shoulders, and for the longest of seconds, Sanji thought that he would kill him. Swiftly pivoting on one leg, Luffy blocked Sanji's kick with his arms crossed in front of his chest before his rubber arms abruptly crisscrossed around his leg, swinging him once more. As he lost vertigo, Sanji was coherent enough that he realized Franky and Zoro were rising to their feet.

With one powerful blow, however, Luffy slammed him into their bodies, and the three crashed to create a new divot in the ground out of the first two holes.

Grunting, he pushed himself to his knees, reaching for his cigarette before he stopped himself.

As Franky and Zoro rose, he followed suit.

The younger man faced them, the corners of his lips crooked upwards in odd angles. He said, "Are you ready now? I'm sick of playing around." Sanji felt real dread crawl up his spine, and he wondered if it was thanks to the missing nicotine in his diet.

Zoro grimaced, and said, "That was just to give her time."

_Nice bravado, ass wipe,_ he thought, and he again considered the cigarette that was calling out to him.

"You look distracted, swirly guy."

Sanji jerked to attention, staring at Luffy as he began to walk toward them.

Eyes narrowed, he shot forward to meet him, landing a blow to Luffy's head. While his head wrenched back, Franky extended his right arm, the chain wrapping around his neck. However, Luffy had brought his hand to the level of his eyes, saving himself from a vicious strangling, and his entire arm tensed to prevent the chain from tightening.

His preoccupation seemed like a golden opportunity, and Zoro swung, slicing the air so hard that the wind cut Luffy. A line of red formed from his shoulder down his chest, the lowest button flying off in the process.

Only baring his teeth in that smile, Luffy yanked Franky off his feet, slamming heads together before using the momentum to sling him over his shoulder. The cyborg collided headfirst with the ground as Luffy cast aside the chain. His hand freed, he grabbed Sanji's face, and brought the other arm up to deflect Zoro's blade. Stretching, his arm coiled around Zoro's wrists and up his arms before grasping his neck.

With his wrists jarred, Zoro's hands dropped the handle of Wado Ichimonji when Luffy brought his hands together. Sanji and Zoro hit each other with a cracking sound so loud that Sanji was almost certain that Nami could hear the clatter.

"Hggh!" Bringing his foot up, Zoro slammed the bottom of his shoe into Luffy's face, making him release the cook.

Just enraged, their captain yanked at green hair, and violently butted heads continuously.

For half a moment, Sanji was dazed enough to believe that Luffy might stop at just a few hits, but when it seemed that he would never stop hammering their foreheads together, his eyes widened in horror.

"Luffy!"

"Uaagh! Straw Hat!"

Franky, finally upon his feet, hooked his bulbous arms up under his shoulders, hoisting him off the ground as if to dislodge his grip of Zoro. Yet, Luffy paused in only the slightest, and his hold on the first mate only seemed to tighten before the abuse began anew.

"Shit, Luffy!"

"Stop him already," Franky said, his voice abnormally high-pitched and almost hysterical.

Laughing, Luffy dropped Zoro, his left arm returning from its stretched state, and he said, "If you can't handle it, you should've never fought me."

"Like hell!" Sanji said, and he glanced at the swordsman, gauging his state. It seemed that he was breathing shallowly. "Stupid asshole …" He raised his head back up, glaring at Luffy, _This is crazy! Where did all of this strength come from? I thought we could hold our own against him, but with grass stain down and shit on, I don't see how to keep him away from Nami-san._ Grudgingly, he admittedly thought, _He's so concentrated on Nami-san, it's no wonder. We're just shit piles to step over to reach her._

"Oi, Cook Bro," Franky said, "he doesn't look too good."

"Take Zoro, and get out of here."

He gaped at Sanji, and said, "Just what the hell do you think you can do alone?"

"Absolutely nothing," he said, taking out his final cigarette. Putting it to his nose, he took a long, deep breath, inhaling the addicting scent before putting it into his mouth. He didn't light it yet. "Just get the shit faced sword lover out of my sight. I'm getting sick of how pathetic he looks."

"Sure," Franky said after a moment, pulling Zoro over his shoulder.

"Take care of Nami-san for me."

He didn't answer, but Sanji supposed that listening to him walking away was enough of an answer for him. Once he couldn't hear him anymore, he said, "You're still thinking of her aren't you?" Luffy grinned, and Sanji said, "She's there. In the back of your mind, her form and her sweet eyes and lips tease and taunt you into chasing her. What you want is nothing more than to sate that desire with her – for her."

Licking his teeth, he said, "Yeah."

"That's where you're a better man than me," Sanji said. "Here I am, my mind stuck on this last cigarette." Flipping out his matchbox, he struck one alight before he, at last, dragged his cigarette into life.

"What are you doing?"

Sanji savored the flavor, let the smoke – his addiction – linger in his lungs and esophagus before gradually releasing it through his nostrils, "I'm evening the odds."

"Doesn't look like it, swirly guy."

He smiled at him without humor, "Without this cigarette, I'll have no other distractions. While it might not be as pure as your desire for Nami-swan, this polluted desire of mine will give her all the time she needs to escape from you."

Luffy's entire body jerked forward to slam his forehead into his, using the full weight of his power in the thrust. Sanji nearly bit through his cigarette, and hit the dirt before he could get to his feet.

Rolling over into a handstand, Sanji twirled toward him, kicking him in the face several times, and his feet creating a blurred, black wheel. With Luffy stunned enough, he planted a foot to the ground, using the momentum from his wheeling kicks to slam a foot into his midsection.

Luffy crashed into the ground, almost uprooting an entire tree. He was on his feet in a moment, however, bringing up his fist to collide with Sanji's next kick. He had been hoping to surprise him again, but the two ended up in a whirlwind of kicks and punches to which Sanji realized he was succumbing. Snorting, he backed away to regain some footing before jutting his foot straight up under Luffy's chin.

"Kgh!" He flew a few meters into the air before shaking his head hard, and he landed on his feet.

Sanji sucked the rest of the cigarette away, and flicked it into the dirt before putting his hands into his pockets. To his horror, he realized that he was still looking for another cigarette. He wondered if his efforts were a waste as Luffy stalked toward him.

Stopping directly in front of him, Luffy said, grinning as blood dripped out his mouth, "Doesn't look like that helped at all, swirly guy."

"Shut your shit-filled trap," he said, and he earned a crushing blow to his solar plexus. He lied where he landed, staring up through the copse of trees, "Well, shit."

Luffy had leapt into the air above him, pulling his fists back, "Gomu Gomu no" – and slew them both forward, assaulting Sanji's entire form with a multitude of rubbery, fast-paced fists – "Gatling Gun!"

When he was finished, starting to walk away, Sanji's jaw was ajar, breathing in soft gasps.

"Luffy-kun."

Blinking rapidly, Sanji tried to look around without getting up, his lungs still striving for air. He heard Luffy's voice, but it sounded strange to his ears – as if he were aggravated, "What is it? I'm hungry."

"Leave this one to me, Luffy-kun. We have to wait until all the drugs leave his body. Then he'll be good enough to eat." He finally saw her. Kuru gently touched Luffy's chest, smiling up at him while brushing hair behind his ear, "You want to eat the best meat, don't you?"

Luffy's fists clamped over her hands then, pulling her off, "Yeah, and you're stringy. I'm taking that plump morsel."

"What? You can't! Your blood pounds for me," she said.

She struggled against his grip, but Luffy chuckled softly when all she could do was try, "Go ahead then. Do it, Kuru." The woman nearly shrieked at him, and he said, "What's wrong?"

"You can't!"

"Watch me," lifting her up, Luffy threw her aside before he started to run after Franky.

!#$&()+

_Wow, I get distracted way too easily over the weekend … I was hoping to get this done days ago. Oh, well, it's out now._

**kit: **_Actually, I read somewhere that it was some five to six months, so I'm going by that until I hear something more definite. Also, why would it be Luffy who would have trouble revealing his feelings? He – the man who lives with a "DON!" – would never think he'd be a burden upon his crew and Nami. It's not revealing your feelings or showing someone that you care that is a burden. It's the inability to live to the fullest! If you can't accept your feelings completely, and share them to the greatest and most extreme degree, you are weak. This is why Luffy is spectacular, and why we will know the very moment that he is in love with someone. So do it! Fight for your dreams! Love with your entire soul and body! Live with a "DON!"_

**Zinfer: **_I refuse to tell you what's going on! Thanks for reviewing though._

**b4k4 ch4n: **_:D Very nice to see that you're enjoying the story so much!_

**Raven the Ravenous: **_Hush you! I'm trying to get these out as fast as I can, and I think my workload is going to lessen soon, so I'll be able to do that._

**Nico Rune: **_Mmm, barbecued Usopp, grilled Usopp … Usopp on a stick … Mmmmm …_

**Animegal9215: **_Aw, thanks! I'm going to try to wrap it up in about two more chapters, so it should be done before I get together a Christmas story and Chopper's Birthday story._

**LuffysAngel:**_ Because I'm like that. And I update within a week anyway, so you guys normally don't wait that long anyway._

**Kaydreams: **_Eh? Wonder what? Tell me!_

**Sonicmario: **_:D Yup, yup! Everyone's got to wait …!_

**Confession68: **_Indeed! And …! Now you don't have to wait._

**Mr. 4: **_So eat it already! What, zombie's are still meaty._

**wheathermangohanssj4: **_Ah? LuSan, huh? … -shrugs- Sounds interesting. Tell me if something ever comes of that._

!#$&()+


	7. Simple Lust!

**The Island of Meat**

_Simple Lust!_

_Fist of Love_

Arms sprouted from Usopp's own arms, and the hands grasped his shoulders, forcing his arms to tilt up. All done at the last moment, he shot at the ceiling instead, and he cursed as the lead bullet embedded into the rock. The arms on him disappeared, and he clutched at the wall, staring at Robin.

She seemed to look as she ever had, but her faint, gentle smile was nowhere in sight.

"Robin," he said, "you don't have to listen to this chick. Your memories might be gone, but that doesn't mean you have to scrape and bow to her! I'm trying to help you."

"You just tried to shoot me."

His jaw dropped, his skin paling before he shook his head hard, "No, really! I want to help you! You don't remember us, right?"

The older woman seemed to hesitate, and she said, "Only Kaliban-sama can bring my memories back." Raising her arms, she finally smiled – apologetically, "I must do as she says, or I'll never regain them again."

"Robin, no!" Chopper jumped again, and said, "Come back to us!"

"If she's blackmailing you to do her bidding, what makes you think she wants to help you at all? Trust us, Robin. Trust in Luffy! We're your friends." She went completely still, gazing evenly at Usopp before he aimed his slingshot at Kaliban. He said after smirking, "We can take you down easily if we work together. Give back Robin's memories!"

Raising her hands, Kaliban laughed, "I give up."

"Huh!?"

"My abilities on the battlefield are rather limited. My sister is the fighter." She gestured to Robin, and said, "At any rate, you've somehow undone my hold on dear Nico Robin's memories. I was rushed for time with her." Kaliban's smile grew, "Monkey D. Luffy will not be as easy to free."

"What do you mean?" Chopper stepped forward, growing into his Heavy Point, "Tell us how to help Luffy!" When Robin abruptly fell to her knees, he looked over, "Ah! Robin, are you okay?"

Pressing her palm to her forehead, she said, "Yes, I think so."

She smiled then, and Usopp recognized it at the calm, warm smile with which she had always greeted him and the rest of the crew. Distracted, Chopper became small again and rushed toward Robin's arms in tears while Usopp turned back to Kaliban, aiming his slingshot. He said, "All right. First thing's first."

Chopper cheered, still slightly teary as he was in Robin's lap, "Ooh! Usopp, you're so cool!"

He chewed his fingernails, and began to sob, "Get us out of this creepy cave!"

"Ack!"

!#$&()+

"Usopp?" Nami's eyes narrowed through the dark, trying to see the figures at the bottom of the valley. Even though their distance was great and the sun had disappeared at least an hour before, she could spot Usopp's nose. She broke into a run, "Usopp!"

"Ah? Oi, Nami!" The figure began to laugh and wave at her.

"Robin! Chopper!" She nearly slid to a stop a few meters from them, panting softly as she gaped at the figure kneeling in the road among them. "Kuru!?" Suddenly, she snapped, and grabbed the front of the woman's shirt, shaking her, "What did you do to him? Change him back to Luffy! Bring him back!"

Coming forward, Usopp touched her shoulder, "Nami, that's not her! It's her sister!"

"I don't care! _Someone_'s going to pay for this."

"_Nami_," Usopp said. "Just calm down, and tell us what's going on. There were sounds coming from the forest until just now."

She looked up at him, "What?" Listening, she gradually began to pale as the silence of the fight became evident, and she dropped the woman, saying, "I have to hide. Usopp, you and Chopper and Robin _can't_ fight him. Don't fight Luffy! No matter what he says or does, okay? No matter what you hear." When Usopp only gawked at her, she shook him, and said, "Don't do anything to him! Just get him back to normal. Please."

Nodding after a moment, he swallowed hard before he said, "I promise to never ever fight Luffy again. That guy would murder me in a heartbeat."

She faced the woman then, clenching her Clima Tact to her chest, and she said, "You better bring him back. Fix whatever's wrong and give him back to us."

"Ah, now I know you," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you finally. I am Kaliban." Nami grit her teeth together as she listened to the woman. "I can see what happened to Monkey D. Luffy now that we've met. Dear sister Kuru may have increased his yearning to become more desirable for him, but at the sight of you, it all became directed towards you. That memory that he still keeps is far too strong for even the Blood Human to overcome with simple lust."

"It's … simple?"

Kaliban smiled, and said, "You can try to hide in our house if you like. He knows where it is though, so I can't promise you'll be safe there."

"You've been acting awfully compliant," Usopp said. "Just what are you hiding?"

"I have nothing to hide now," she said. "It's Kuru that you have to stop. I don't care either way if I eat humans or not. In fact, I'd rather stop eating humans all together."

"Stop? How do you just stop? Aren't you supposed to go into a feverish bloodlust at the thought of eating humans after you've eaten them before?" Usopp pointed at her, and said, "You're probably just trying to lure us into a false sense of security before you rip into our flesh. Tell me why you're going to stop."

"I'm sick."

Nami then realized that Kaliban hadn't bothered to rise to her feet since Nami had dropped her, and she stared awhile, uncomprehending as she saw the gently trembling hands in her lap. Perking up, Chopper left the archaeologist's side to look over her, and he put his hooves on her cheeks and forehead, "What? Sick? You don't have a fever."

"Be careful, Chopper, or she'll eat you up!"

"I'm not a human!"

"That's all right." Kaliban said, laughing softly, "It's not from a fever anyway. I just can't move well anymore. I don't think I can even get up right now."

"What? Why are you laughing?" Chopper frowned softly in concern. "It might be serious."

"I don't know," she said, still giggling while her eyes began to water, "that happens sometimes too. I just can't stop it." Looking up at Nami, she said, "You better find a place to hide. Who knows what that man will do now."

"What am I supposed to do though? He doesn't remember us! The only thing he seems to know is my name, and I don't even know why!" Nami tried to stop herself from her own shakes, recalling the passion in Luffy's eyes when he had attempted to rush her. For that one long moment when their gazes had conjoined, she had wanted him to catch her.

Kaliban continued to laugh as she said, "I'm sorry. He's my best work. The only flaw was a memory I couldn't pin down. It was very dear to him, and he just refused to release it to me."

"You did this to him?"

"I ate the Memo Memo Fruit," she said. "All memories are at my whim – to be buried or rearranged as I see fit. Luffy-kun's mind was given the special treatment, and it was nearly wiped clear."

"How do I find that memory then?" Nami said.

She tried not to be disturbed as the laughter stopped, but the tears kept coming, "It seems it's already been found. You just have to make him remember it all. Once remembered, the others will follow. It's just the same as what happened to Nico Robin."

She didn't have time to ask about what happened to Robin however, so she said, "Which memory though?"

"Nami!"

Her head jerked up to see Franky on the top of the hill from which she had come, but he didn't seem too happy to see all of them. She turned, and said, "Franky? What is it? Where's Luffy?"

"He's probably coming right now! Get out of here!"

"What about Zoro? And Sanji-kun!"

"Run, damn you!"

Nami said, "Kaliban! Tell me. What memory does he still have?"

"Four weeks ago," she said. "A memory shared with someone else is the strongest."

Usopp scowled, and said, "What? That doesn't tell us anything. What-?" He jumped when Nami began to run up the hill, and he called after her, "Nami! What's that supposed to mean!? How do you even know she's telling the truth!?"

Grimacing at her, Franky said as she ran past him, "Damn it, Nami, you be careful!"

"I know what to do! Just tell everyone to leave us alone," she said over her shoulder. "Don't get involved."

The cyborg huffed before he ran down the other side of the hill, and Nami finally noticed there was a bloody Zoro lying across his shoulders before she forced herself to look away. Luffy was just stepping out of the forest, and he combed his hair back with his fingers when he saw her. He smirked, his head tilting as he stopped running, "Come to get tenderized?"

A warm flush took over face, but she shoved it aside. Nami said, "No, I-"

Then she wondered how she was going to get him to remember something when he wanted nothing more than to pin her down before eating her. _Or against a tree,_ she thought, remembering how only moments ago, he had her pressed to a tree with his thigh gradually rising up the inside of her leg …

She said, "Oh, no."

Luffy stretched his arms out, wrapping them around her body several times before yanking her toward him. Nami gasped when she slammed against him, but had enough sense to wrench her head away as he attempted to kiss her. With some difficulty, she pulled an arm free during the struggle to punch him as hard as she could, _Luffy would never ever hurt me!_

His arms uncoiled from around her, and he went down like a rock.

Blinking rapidly as she recovered her footing, Nami stared at him before he raised himself, and he rubbed his cheek. He said, "What the …?"

After a moment, she lifted her fists, feeling comforted unexpectedly, and she said, "I'll make you remember – every bit of it! It happened four weeks ago on the beach, Luffy."

"You!" Heaving his entire body, Luffy tackled her, but when they both hit the ground, she punched him once more, which sent him rolling off her.

"I pulled you out of the water when the tide took you." Enraged, he screamed as he ran at her. Yet, on her feet, Nami met him directly, and put the full weight of her body into it as her fist cracked into his face. She said when he went down, "This is it, Luffy! You may have beaten those goons, but you can't win against me! This is my Fist of Love!"

"What the hell is wrong with me!?"

Leaping to his feet, he panted, and steamed, grinding teeth together as he stalked toward her.

"We were on the beach! Please, tell me that you remember that."

!#$&()+

His meal – the succulent, plump woman with the mighty fine thighs and breasts – approached him cautiously, and his eyes alit, wanting to sink his teeth into her.

As if sensing the slight change, she backed away just before he closed in onto her, wrapping his elastic arms around her. She screamed, unable to raise her arms to strike him again, which would have been an annoyance. All of her emotions had seemingly gone into her hits against him, and it did him no good at all if his dinner – possibly his lover – brought him down to his knees with a mere punch.

It was spectacular that she wasn't a twig like that girl – that she had meat on her bones so she could defend herself properly – but he didn't want his woman to beat him outright like that!

His overpowering grip constricted around her.

Fingers twitching, he held her down to the grass before making his hands crawl across her body. She wriggled at the touch, tickled as his arms stretched to follow his hands. They grabbed her shoulders when she endeavored to break loose.

Chuckling, he planted his lips on her bared neck, dragging his tongue up and down her skin while she released a short-lived protest. Luffy's mouth inched up her throat, feeling her throbbing pulse with his tongue. When he could hear her start to pant irregularly, he pressed his body to hers while tenderly nibbling on her ear.

She wheezed faintly, and she said, "No, no. Don't eat me. Don't eat me."

"Baby, you'll like my bite."

"No …"

Amused, Luffy covered her mouth with his.

_Nami took his hand, and pulled him toward the beach, laughing when he yanked back. She fell against his chest, smiling up at him while he coiled his arms around her, and he squeezed tightly with a laugh._

_Luffy lowered his head to press his forehead to hers just before he kissed her. When he pulled back, he licked his lips, which made Nami blush._

!#$&()+

_Huh. I didn't expect to finish this chapter today, but here it is, so here I'm posting. Next chapter should be the last!_

**Nico Rune: **_Will do! –thumbs up-_

**Confession68: **_Fuhahahahaha! I was hoping to teach something actually. Glad it got through._

**Kaydreams: **_What were you wondering though?_

**LuffysAngel: **_Here it is now! Heh … yeah … soon._

**Darkide: **_Hmm … really, only the second (he) in that example needed to be changed. At any rate, I don't like having multiple POVs going on at once, and by the time I reached that place, I figured people had realized the fight was in Sanji's POV. I'll be a bit more careful next time though. Thank you for the critique!_

**b4k4 ch4n: **_:P That's not exactly what he was referring to when Sanji called Luffy's desire pure._

**Raven the Ravenous: **_-preens- Thank you! Feeling better? Uh … my work requests were down today, so I could actually write and do stuff. If that's what you mean._

**Mihase: **_Haha. I can see why you'd think that. You're not alone really._

**Zinfer: **_People should write Sanji as being himself more often – he is pretty badass when you get right down to it._

**wheathermangohanssj4: **_Quit being a Nazi. I keep thinking of Luigi whenever I see Luji …_

!#$&()+


	8. Tasting Nami!

**The Island of Meat**

_Tasting Nami!_

_A Place to Die_

Nami had found herself enjoying the kiss up until his lips left, and he released her, stumbling backward onto his feet. She rose as well with a deep blush for her reaction, and tried to get ready for another attack, lifting up her fists again even though she thought it made her look ridiculous. Bringing a hand up to touch his hat on her head, Nami braced herself.

He didn't come.

Instead, he stood there, twitching slightly as he gripped his head, and stared at her. Growing disconcerted, she said, "Luffy, what's wrong?"

She then noticed as his tongue slid out to lick his chops hungrily. He said, "What was that?"

"Huh?"

Luffy stepped forward, and she backed away, "That … _flavor_." His lips turned up, "How could I forget meeting you, and having that taste in my mouth? What was it?"

"Oh, it was-"

Abruptly, he lurched, pressing against her once more as he said, "Yummy."

Gasping, she staggered back before she turned to run.

_Idiot! What were you thinking when you said you'd take him on by yourself!? What am I going to do to get him to remember?_ She thought, _All he wants to do is eat, and …_ She blinked before adjusting her course a bit, and glanced back to make sure he was still chasing her down. Nami was almost glad that he seemed to be trying to tease her again, but she only felt alleviated. If she could lead him to the ship, then she was certain that his memory would return in no time at all.

The moment she stepped into the village, however, it seemed to come alive, and the inhabitants – which she had assumed were no longer there – came out. Whipping out her staff, she attempted to bring down as many of the attackers as she could, slamming her staff into faces and guts before someone pulled her down to the road. The man gripped her tightly with inhuman power, and she struggled uselessly until a fist made contact with her stomach. Coughing hard, Nami sobbed in pain as feet and hands and fists crashed onto her body.

Soon, however, the strikes decelerated until they stopped completely, and she trembled in the streets, bewildered and battered. When she saw Luffy standing over her, she was not as confused. He lifted her up slowly into his arms, and she clung to him with battered arms, shaking hard.

He grinned, and said, "The moment you need protection, you'd even come to me?"

"Luffy," she said, trying not to let his words affect her, "you said you wanted … to tenderize me?"

"Yeah, maybe I can keep you if I like your juicy taste." A blush crept onto her cheeks – until he said, "What should I cook you with if I don't though …?"

"No. Let's … let's not think about that right now. Why don't you take me to the ship? You can … start there."

"Ship?" He looked to where she pointed, "Why there?"

"There's a bedroom," she said, "and a kitchen if you want … something to eat after we're done."

Luffy snickered, and then broke into a run, "That's pretty sexy, Nami."

Before she realized it, he leapt up onto _Sunny_'s deck, and he padded toward one of the doors. She said, "Wait a minute. I have to get something."

For the first time ever, Nami saw suspicion on Luffy's face as he said, "Get what?"

"Just something to make it a bit more exciting," she said. "I don't want you to really eat me after all." Setting her onto her feet, he followed her not more than half a meter behind her as she walked across the grassy deck. Stopping near the door of her room, she plucked a mandarin orange from a tree. Turning around, she offered it to him.

A fist slammed into his cheek then, sending him straight off the deck of the ship.

"Luffy-kun!"

"Luffy!" Nami glanced over to see Kuru right beside her, and she backpedaled quickly. _When did she get there? She moved so fast!_

"You're trying to taint him! My dear Luffy-kun," Kuru said.

Whipping out her Clima Tact, Nami steadied it in front of herself, already counting down the seconds that Luffy was underwater, and she said, "He's not yours! He doesn't belong to anyone."

"Is that why you're trying to steal him?"

An eye closed in a wink as she stuck out her tongue teasingly, "Well, I _am_ a thief."

Kuru rushed her, almost moving too quickly for Nami to follow with her eyes, but she managed to bring up her staff to block the punch. She thought, _A brawler!?_ Rolling out of the way, she unlatched two of the poles to twirl them quickly, adjusting them accordingly to create clouds. _I don't have time to deal with someone that's going to mess me up – Luffy's sinking!_

At the base of a mountain, Nami could feel the wind blowing up its side, and, as she twirled the poles, she prayed that the wind was fast enough to help produce the clouds that she needed. _Please … please!_ The sky rumbled, and she blinked at the sudden drop of air pressure. She glanced up at the abruptly darkening sky, and then yelped as Kuru's fist came for her, dropping onto the grass to avoid it. Something reverberated high above them, causing an unheard threat to resound through Nami's bones.

_What is this? I haven't seen clouds form so fast in a long time!_ The lightning charged inside finally announced itself in the form of thunder, and she readied the third pole of her Clima Tact. _In any case, I have to use it! It's not going to last long and Luffy's still down there._

Kuru slapped the pole straight out of her hands, and Nami cried out in pain, clutching at her bruised hand. Jumping to her feet, she dashed away from Kuru, dodging the next attack, and ran for the pole that controlled lightning. _So close …!_

"No!" Nami went down, screaming as Kuru elbowed her back. As she was held down, Kuru grabbed her hair to yank at it, "It's useless! With my power, I can increase my speed and abilities beyond even human potential. You're powerless against me. The Blood Blood Fruit is the strongest in any one on one match." Seeing the glint of metal, Nami craned her neck to see Kuru sliding out a long knife from the sash around her waist, "Now, why don't you show me your blood. Thief."

Shrieking as the knife stabbed her arm, Nami wrenched herself away, clutching at the wound. She threw Kuru off, and rolled toward the section of the Clima Tact that she needed.

"What're going to do with that little thing? It's just a stick."

Grinning, Nami said, "And you're a twig." As rage filled Kuru's eyes, Nami tossed it into the air straight at the low clouds, "Thunder Tempo!"

!#$&()+

_Someone grabbed his wrist, and as he felt himself rise through the water, he found the strength to look up. The sun high in the sky reflected green through the ocean waves, highlighting the features of a gorgeous woman. His fingers twitched, wanting to touch the soft hand around his wrist._

_She pushed the water out of his lungs once they were on the shore, and she shook her finger under his nose as he sat up. She said, "You scared me silly! Don't ever go into the water again without one of us here." Taking his hands, she said, "If I didn't see you go under … Luffy."_

_With a smile, he touched her cheek, and said, "You did though. Thanks, Nami."_

_Returning the grin, she said, wiping water off her face, "Idiot."_

_After a moment, he realized that she was trembling, and it wasn't water on her face. Sitting up, he grabbed her shoulders gently, and said, "Nami? Nami, don't cry."_

"_I'm just so glad that you're all right."_

"_You got to learn to lie better. Even Usopp could've come up with something," he laughed._

_Standing up, she stomped a foot – it didn't work well in the sand – and she said, "I'm telling you the truth! Quit being a jerk." When he continued to laugh raucously, she said, "Stop that or I'll toss you back in!"_

"_No, you won't," he said. "Shishi!"_

_Nami took his hand, and pulled him toward the beach, laughing when he yanked back. She fell against his chest, smiling up at him while he coiled his arms around her, and he squeezed tightly with a laugh._

_Luffy lowered his head to press his forehead to hers just before he kissed her. When he pulled back, he licked his lips, which made Nami blush._

_He said, "You taste like oranges."_

As they resurfaced, Luffy coughed up water, gasping hard for air before he blinked up at the moon behind disappearing clouds. Groaning, he rested his waterlogged head against Nami's shoulder, unable to cling to her – as much as he would have liked.

"Luffy," she said gently when she pulled him up onto the dock. "Luffy, are you all right?"

"I'm breathing," he said after a moment.

"Thank goodness," she said, and then she pulled him onto his staggering feet. "Come on, you can tenderize me or whatever, but first I want you to try something." Blinking, Luffy followed her onto _Sunny_, and toward one of her trees. She plucked another orange, and pressed it into his hand before closing her hands around his own so he could grip it. She said, "This is for you."

He felt his heart leap.

"_You jerk!" She punched him, and his head rang as he collapsed into the beach, eating sand in the process. "I can't believe you!"_

When her warm hands left him, Luffy dropped the orange. Growing pale, she backed away, pressing hard against the door that led into her room. Nami began to pant, and gripped at the doorframe as if to brace herself. Luffy watched a droplet slide down her cheek, over her jaw line, and then it course along her neck, following the natural curve of her pulsing vein before it stopped in her cleavage. His eyes went back up to her face, and he watched her lick her lips before she straightened herself, something hardening in her eyes.

"I never thought it would be like this," she said. "If you really want me though, you can have me."

Stepping a bit closer, he tilted his head slightly, entranced by the spectacle that she was making. Nami grabbed his hand when he was close enough, pressing it against her breast, and Luffy began to pinch her nipple before grasping her other breast to treat it the same way. When she moaned, a pained expression passed over his face.

"Nami," he said.

"Nnm? Yes, Luffy?"

"I like it, and all, but you know … it's not coming up."

She blinked, "What isn't?"

Releasing a boob to point down at his waist, he said, "It's not going to come up for about a week."

"Huh?"

"Whenever I'm in the water up to my waist, it usually takes a day or two for me to get it back up again." He grimaced miserably, and said, "But when it's a full body dunk, it usually takes a week. It's something to do with me being a hammer, I think …"

"So you're just going to eat me now!?"

Luffy grinned, "Oh, well, I guess I could do that."

She squeaked, holding up her arms defensively, and shaking her head, "No! Don't eat me."

"What? You just asked me if I would, and I said I would." Snickering, he pressed up against her, taking her wrists to kiss her palms, "You can't take it back now, Nami."

Planting her lips onto her neck, her body arched slightly against him. When she squirmed, he reached around her to grab the doorknob, opening it to push Nami towards her bed. He kicked the door shut, and buried his face into her bosom.

"Ah …" she fisted his hair when his hands thrust up under her skirt, finding her core, and rubbing through her panties. "What are you doing?"

Smiling warmly, he said, "Baby, I'm going to eat you." Nami's eyes widened, staring at him as her full lips parted, and he leaned up to catch them with his mouth, thrusting his tongue inside to play. He said to her panting lips after he parted, "You still taste like oranges."

She froze, and then she punched him, "You got your memory back!?"

Rolling across the floor, he then grabbed his head in pain, "Ah! Nami, that hurt, damn it!"

"Why didn't you tell me that you got it back!?"

Blinking with a crocodile tear, he said, "I was supposed to?"

Grinding her razor sharp teeth, she said, "Yes! Instead, you try to get fresh and grope me. No good pervert!"

"Nyeaah," he said, letting his tongue hang out at her. "You're the pervert who _liked_ it, Nami. What was I supposed to do when you offered?" He held up a finger as if making a point – he saw Usopp and Robin do it all the time, "Besides, I didn't eat that orange you gave me. I thought that's why you were letting me taste you again."

Her skin flushed brightly, and he smiled at the clean pink hue. She said, "Taste me?"

"That's right," he said, rubbing his cheek. "And I still like you too. No matter how many times you hit me for it – that's part of the reason I like you anyway."

"You like me? You never told me before …"

Scratching his nose, he said, "Oh, I guess you're right. Shishishi! Well, I do." Nami began to smile then, putting her skirt back into place before she rose to kneel beside him. When he tilted his head curiously, she kissed his cheek, and he grinned widely, "Too bad I can't get it up right now."

She pinched his nose, "You just ruined a very sweet moment."

Luffy said with her fingers still clamped onto his nose, "I did whad now?"

Sighing, she released his nose before she kissed his forehead, "Forget it, Luffy." Standing up straight, she said, "Let's go tell the others now. They must be worried sick about you."

!#$&()+

_Chopper said, "Are you sure?"_

"_Yes," Kaliban said "If my sister were in her right mind, she'd agree."_

_Biting her tongue, Nami glanced over at Kuru who was still out cold. Just the day before, Kaliban had buried her memory of what they had done and all of their atrocities, and then soon after, had returned the memories of the villagers up to the point before it had all started._

"_We deserve far worse," she said, "but we're going to die anyway. I'd just like to be able to choose where we can die. Here, on the Island of Oranges is where we were born – I'd like to die here as well."_

"I almost can't believe it," Nami said as the island finally disappeared out of sight. "An entire island like that destroyed because of bloodlust."

She looked at Chopper who was sitting on the railing when he said, "That's what happens to Blood Humans. Kaliban must've started eating other humans when Kuru threatened her too."

"But not only did they destroy those people's lives, they killed off all their way of life – all those orange trees are gone forever now. How will they get onto their feet again? And … how do you know for sure that they're dying, Chopper? She might've just tricked us into making us leave them alone."

Shaking his head, he said, "No, it's a prion disease. There's no cure, and it's fatal for sure. It's directly affecting their brains – that's why she kept crying or laughing without any control, and she was shaking a lot. Kuru's probably not far behind, but she must've been saving herself with her Blood abilities somehow, and slowing it down."

"How do you know she has it?"

"Because it's caused by cannibalism," he said.

Nami grimaced, looking out to where she had last seen the island, and then pushed herself away from the railing, "Well, in any case, I have some navigating to do!"

Going up to the bow of the ship, she spotted their captain playing with the steering wheel.

"Ah! Luffy!"

Spotting her, he released the wheel, and jumped over it to hide on the other side, "I didn't do it!"

Frowning, she checked their Log Pose before she relaxed, "Well, we're still _somehow_ going in the right direction. Don't do it again though!"

Luffy pouted a while before slumping onto the bench, "I'm bored."

"Well, don't play with the wheel again. It's not a toy," she said, plopping down beside him.

"Are you okay?"

"No, you're messing around!"

He poked her nose, and said, "No, I mean you were sad looking." She blinked. "When you were talking with Chopper, you looked sad."

"Oh, no, no. I was just thinking about that island …" she laughed softly, "it'd weird. It was the Island of Oranges, but there wasn't an orange to be found there. I wonder how good _they_ would have been."

"Your oranges probably taste better," he said.

Her cheeks tinged pink. She looked at him with her eyes, not moving her head, "And how would you know?"

"'Cause I like how your lips taste." Widening her eyes, she turned to snap at him only for Luffy to lean over to kiss her lips chastely. He licked his lips when he pulled back with a grin, "Still tasty! Nishishishi!"

With a huff, she blushed hard, and said, "Fine, I get it. You really do like me."

He picked his nose, and Nami found herself smiling at his foolishness. Luffy said, "I knew Robin was right."

"Eh? Right about what?"

"The luck."

Nami tilted her head, "What luck?"

"The good luck you get from picking up travelers."

"Oh …"

"_Good luck?" Zoro said, looking rather unconvinced._

_Robin smiled, and said, "Yes, giving travelers a much needed lift to their destination is sometimes thought as extremely good luck in some societies."_

"_I'd call that suicide on the Grand Line," Usopp said, squinting at the young woman in the little dinghy._

_Luffy leaned over the railing, and grinned at her, "Come on up! We'll give you a lift."_

Laughing, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Beginning to smile, she rested her head back, and closed her eyes, "Yes. She was right."

"It's too bad I can't get it up though." Nami scowled at him. "What?"

!#$&()+

**THE END**

!#$&()+

_And … yeah._

**Kaydreams: **_My only regret is that I didn't hear another reviewer call her stringy before I ended the story. Ah …_

**Nico Rune: **_Gaah … no … no doing that._

**Confession68: **_…? Was it really that short? Didn't seem that way to me._

**Zinfer: **_Okay._

**b4k4 ch4n: **_Lalala, and … uh … shrugs Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

**Mr. 4: **_No cherry pies for you! … Ah, wrong fat man._

**Mihase: **_DON'T BE ASHAMED OF YOUR OWN PERVERTED HIJINKS. RELISH IN THEM. SEEK THE UNKNOWN LEMONS OF YE OLD AFF_(dot)_NET AND FIND_ Belongings_. THERE, YOU SHALL FIND HAPPINESS._

**LuffysAngel: **_Wait no longer!_

**Raven the Ravenous: **_Eh … I think the main fight of the story __**was**__ the Sanji fight. Hope you enjoyed the last fight anyway!_

**wheathermangohanssj4: **_That's Neo-Nazi to you._

!#$&()+


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